Which telehealth provisions were adopted in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) final rule for CY2026?
CMS finalized its proposal to permanently adopt its waiver defining direct supervision for certain services—such as pulmonary, cardiac and intensive cardiac rehabilitation—to include virtual presence via audio/video real-time communications technology. Additionally, its waiver allowing federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and rural health clinics (RHCs) to bill for telehealth services was extended through 2026. CMS did not propose to extend its waiver allowing teaching physicians to have a virtual presence for purposes of billing for services furnished by residents in teaching settings; however, this waiver was permanently adopted in response to public comments.
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